T21 – Week 5 Implementation Assignment: Google Docs | |||
Group 1: Joni, Zaida, Betty, Peter | |||
Benefits of Google Docs | Barriers/Solutions | Suggestions for Google Doc activities | |
|
|
| |
Friday, March 26, 2010
T21-Implementation 5
Monday, March 22, 2010
One of the things I am most proud of in my school is our teacher collaboration. "Hats off" to our principal who sees the benefit and encourages our teachers to work together on projects and themes. From curriculum to musical programs to I-Teams (3-4 teachers who meet with individual students and their parents over problems of behavior, academics, etc.), our staff works together to support and improve our school.
When I first arrived at this school six years ago, I taught all of the subjects for a classroom of 24 students in the 7-8th grades. I had been teaching English and Writing at Ozark Adventist Academy for 14 years, so going back to a multi-grade classroom of 13-14 year old kids was a very big change. I have never felt so alone in my job as I did that year. I was miserable, and to be perfectly honest, I don't think I did a very good job. I had nobody to discuss problems or successes with. All the other teachers had multi-grade classrooms, too, and were just as isolated as I was.
In CTER (2009) "Teacher Collaboration" I read that "Often teachers are left to their own devices, struggling to solve their instructional and/or classroom management dilemmas. Their colleagues can be more like competitors and much of the work is done in private and without assistance." That's exactly what I experienced!
But, our school has steadily transformed. We changed principals, and he began marketing to initiate growth in our enrollment. The second year I had 30 kids in my class, and a full-time aide. Finally, I had someone to work with and plan things with! By the third year the 7-8th had grown enough that we split them into two classrooms. Now I had a team teacher to work with! It was marvelous! We talked every day after school and discussed our plans for the days to come. We worried and prayed over students who were struggling. Now, we have incorporated 6th grade into our team. We have a particularly wonderful trio of teachers in our Middle School. We are departmentalized, so that each teacher is teaching in his/her areas of strength.
The same article, "Teacher Collaboration," went on to say, "Just as good parenting practices include presenting a united front to children, teachers who work closely together promote shared ideals to their students. This camaraderie sends an unspoken message that the work being done is valued by the instructors, and should therefore be respected by the students. As students sense this consistency behavior and achievement improve. (Inger)
What a true statement. I see it in our own school. The unspoken message is getting through, loud and clear, to our students. They see the three of us talking together in the lunch room — they know we are comparing notes from the morning's classes. They see us conferring in the gym during dismissal — they are totally aware that we are rehashing the events of the day. It gives each teacher much more power, and it gives the students the knowledge that we are a united force, working to make them successful students.
So, the question is, how do we move that same feeling of partnership from the teaching staff to the students? How do we get them to work together in teams, valuing each other's opinions, and trusting each other's skills and abilities?
In the November, 2009, "eSN Special Report: Small-group collaboration" By Ellie Ashford we are reminded that "Everyone needs to be able to collaborate in a group, because that’s how things are done in the real world. No one sits alone and works by themselves any more," said Stan Silverman, director of technology-based learning systems at the New York Institute of Technology.
OK, I get it. Even we teachers are working in collaboration. But I'm afraid that we haven't learned how to teach that to our students. Maybe that sense of losing control is difficult for us. Classrooms are expected to be full of neat rows of orderly, attentive students, right? But are they really retaining those wonderful words of wisdom that come pouring out of our mouths?
The Collaborative Learning Overview contained this little graph:
According to this chart, schools seem to be doing it wrong! I think it is up to us, the teachers in the classrooms, to change the way education is expected to be and move away from the stereotypical classroom setting.
The Teaching Effectiveness Program at the University of Oregon’s Teaching and Learning Center summarized several additional benefits of collaborative learning from various studies:
•Effective groups assume ownership of a process and its results when individuals are encouraged to work together toward a common goal.
•Students’ critical thinking skills improve, along with their retention of information and interest in the subject matter.
•Collaborative learning allows the assignment of more challenging tasks without making the workload unreasonable.
•It provides weaker students with extensive one-on-one tutoring, while stronger students gain the deeper understanding that comes only from teaching others.
•Students are less likely to consider teachers the sole sources of knowledge and understanding. (eSN Special Report: Small-group collaboration)
Hmmm . . . So students can help each other learn?
Hmmm . . . So teachers are not the sole source of knowledge?
Hmmm . . . Do you think we teachers are ready for that?
I think we'd better try.
When I first arrived at this school six years ago, I taught all of the subjects for a classroom of 24 students in the 7-8th grades. I had been teaching English and Writing at Ozark Adventist Academy for 14 years, so going back to a multi-grade classroom of 13-14 year old kids was a very big change. I have never felt so alone in my job as I did that year. I was miserable, and to be perfectly honest, I don't think I did a very good job. I had nobody to discuss problems or successes with. All the other teachers had multi-grade classrooms, too, and were just as isolated as I was.
In CTER (2009) "Teacher Collaboration" I read that "Often teachers are left to their own devices, struggling to solve their instructional and/or classroom management dilemmas. Their colleagues can be more like competitors and much of the work is done in private and without assistance." That's exactly what I experienced!
But, our school has steadily transformed. We changed principals, and he began marketing to initiate growth in our enrollment. The second year I had 30 kids in my class, and a full-time aide. Finally, I had someone to work with and plan things with! By the third year the 7-8th had grown enough that we split them into two classrooms. Now I had a team teacher to work with! It was marvelous! We talked every day after school and discussed our plans for the days to come. We worried and prayed over students who were struggling. Now, we have incorporated 6th grade into our team. We have a particularly wonderful trio of teachers in our Middle School. We are departmentalized, so that each teacher is teaching in his/her areas of strength.
The same article, "Teacher Collaboration," went on to say, "Just as good parenting practices include presenting a united front to children, teachers who work closely together promote shared ideals to their students. This camaraderie sends an unspoken message that the work being done is valued by the instructors, and should therefore be respected by the students. As students sense this consistency behavior and achievement improve. (Inger)
What a true statement. I see it in our own school. The unspoken message is getting through, loud and clear, to our students. They see the three of us talking together in the lunch room — they know we are comparing notes from the morning's classes. They see us conferring in the gym during dismissal — they are totally aware that we are rehashing the events of the day. It gives each teacher much more power, and it gives the students the knowledge that we are a united force, working to make them successful students.
So, the question is, how do we move that same feeling of partnership from the teaching staff to the students? How do we get them to work together in teams, valuing each other's opinions, and trusting each other's skills and abilities?
In the November, 2009, "eSN Special Report: Small-group collaboration" By Ellie Ashford we are reminded that "Everyone needs to be able to collaborate in a group, because that’s how things are done in the real world. No one sits alone and works by themselves any more," said Stan Silverman, director of technology-based learning systems at the New York Institute of Technology.
OK, I get it. Even we teachers are working in collaboration. But I'm afraid that we haven't learned how to teach that to our students. Maybe that sense of losing control is difficult for us. Classrooms are expected to be full of neat rows of orderly, attentive students, right? But are they really retaining those wonderful words of wisdom that come pouring out of our mouths?
The Collaborative Learning Overview contained this little graph:
Where do we learn (hint: it's not in the classroom)
According to this chart, schools seem to be doing it wrong! I think it is up to us, the teachers in the classrooms, to change the way education is expected to be and move away from the stereotypical classroom setting.
The Teaching Effectiveness Program at the University of Oregon’s Teaching and Learning Center summarized several additional benefits of collaborative learning from various studies:
•Effective groups assume ownership of a process and its results when individuals are encouraged to work together toward a common goal.
•Students’ critical thinking skills improve, along with their retention of information and interest in the subject matter.
•Collaborative learning allows the assignment of more challenging tasks without making the workload unreasonable.
•It provides weaker students with extensive one-on-one tutoring, while stronger students gain the deeper understanding that comes only from teaching others.
•Students are less likely to consider teachers the sole sources of knowledge and understanding. (eSN Special Report: Small-group collaboration)
Hmmm . . . So students can help each other learn?
Hmmm . . . So teachers are not the sole source of knowledge?
Hmmm . . . Do you think we teachers are ready for that?
I think we'd better try.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Digital Storytelling - reaction
OK, I admit it. I got hung up at "teachertube.com" in the first article. I was compelled to check it out, and I ended up spending about two hours just watching videos and searching for things that would enhance my classes this week!
Then I got caught up on HotChalk.com, to which I now have a membership. I browsed around that site for a while, too. But ended up bookmarking it so that I can return to it when I have a little more time.
I actually did read on — eventually. But the mere fact that I got so caught up in the storytelling that I found on teachertube.com kind of proves the point of the lesson this week. People are more likely to learn new things when the storytelling approach is used.
I don't know anybody who isn't drawn in by a good story. I know I am. From a good book, to a TV show, to the children's story at church, everybody's ears perk up when they hear a story being told.
The technique is not new. Go back to the Bible and you'll see that the majority of the lessons it teaches are through stories of real people, doing real things. We can relate to that, so it grabs our interest. The Bible uses fiction, too. Jesus told stories in parable form in order to teach a spiritual lesson.
So, it's only logical that we, as 'savvy' educators, should use present-day technology to teach old truths, as well as newly discovered information. Thus, this class finds purpose in guiding us to find the best ways to impart that knowledge to our students.
How digital storytelling might benefit current/future students states that digital storytelling appears to more learning styles. There is a correlation in the fact that auditory, kinesthetic and visual learners all tend to learn better when given the opportunity to take part in digital storytelling.
Cheryl Diermyer, is a learning technology consultant with DoIT Academic Technology. “Digital storytelling forces you to decide what to say in the space of a brief video; there is an intensity there,” she says. “Someone suggested that it’s like poetry — that every part of it must support the theme.”
The following chart is her representation of how that story can be mapped out.
There are many different definitions of “Digital Storytelling,” but in general, they all revolve around the idea of combining the art of telling stories with a variety of digital multimedia, such as images, audio, and video.
There are many different types of digital stories, but it is possible to categorize the major types into the following three major groups:
1. Personal narratives - that contain accounts of significant incidents in one’s life;
2. Historical documentaries –that examine dramatic events that help us understand the past;
3. Stories designed to inform or instruct the viewer on a particular concept or practice.
Of the samples I found on our assignment list, I was somewhat disappointed to find so many stories that tended to be dark or sad. At www.storycenter.org I listened to one story after another that reminisced in a sad, melancholy fashion that left me feeling a little 'down' myself.
I would prefer to think that my students would benefit the most from this type of learning experience if they were to choose a light-hearted, even fun, subject that they could get excited about. There are way too many sad stories in this world for my liking.
In fact, I think I may just draw my students into this week's assignment to see if they could be part of my "digital storytelling." We'll see what comes of that!
Then I got caught up on HotChalk.com, to which I now have a membership. I browsed around that site for a while, too. But ended up bookmarking it so that I can return to it when I have a little more time.
I actually did read on — eventually. But the mere fact that I got so caught up in the storytelling that I found on teachertube.com kind of proves the point of the lesson this week. People are more likely to learn new things when the storytelling approach is used.
I don't know anybody who isn't drawn in by a good story. I know I am. From a good book, to a TV show, to the children's story at church, everybody's ears perk up when they hear a story being told.
The technique is not new. Go back to the Bible and you'll see that the majority of the lessons it teaches are through stories of real people, doing real things. We can relate to that, so it grabs our interest. The Bible uses fiction, too. Jesus told stories in parable form in order to teach a spiritual lesson.
So, it's only logical that we, as 'savvy' educators, should use present-day technology to teach old truths, as well as newly discovered information. Thus, this class finds purpose in guiding us to find the best ways to impart that knowledge to our students.
How digital storytelling might benefit current/future students states that digital storytelling appears to more learning styles. There is a correlation in the fact that auditory, kinesthetic and visual learners all tend to learn better when given the opportunity to take part in digital storytelling.
Cheryl Diermyer, is a learning technology consultant with DoIT Academic Technology. “Digital storytelling forces you to decide what to say in the space of a brief video; there is an intensity there,” she says. “Someone suggested that it’s like poetry — that every part of it must support the theme.”
The following chart is her representation of how that story can be mapped out.
There are many different definitions of “Digital Storytelling,” but in general, they all revolve around the idea of combining the art of telling stories with a variety of digital multimedia, such as images, audio, and video.There are many different types of digital stories, but it is possible to categorize the major types into the following three major groups:
1. Personal narratives - that contain accounts of significant incidents in one’s life;
2. Historical documentaries –that examine dramatic events that help us understand the past;
3. Stories designed to inform or instruct the viewer on a particular concept or practice.
Of the samples I found on our assignment list, I was somewhat disappointed to find so many stories that tended to be dark or sad. At www.storycenter.org I listened to one story after another that reminisced in a sad, melancholy fashion that left me feeling a little 'down' myself.
I would prefer to think that my students would benefit the most from this type of learning experience if they were to choose a light-hearted, even fun, subject that they could get excited about. There are way too many sad stories in this world for my liking.
In fact, I think I may just draw my students into this week's assignment to see if they could be part of my "digital storytelling." We'll see what comes of that!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Week 3 Blog Post
Week 3 Blog Post
Dr. Ruben Puentedura is an expert in education who presented a lecture entitled, "As We May Teach: Educational Technology, From Theory Into Practice" that is available as a free iTunes video. In it, he explained two methods of integrating technology into education. The first, TPCK, is represented visually with a Venn Diagram that shows how Technology, Pedagogy and Content have common elements that, when united in education, can enhance a student's performance.
The second method, SAMR, indicates the progress that students make as technology is integrated into a lesson. In it, S equals Substitution, which is the lowest level of technology that simply substitutes a piece of technology for an older form of teaching, but it still has the same basic function. The A equals Augmentation, in which technology still acts as a substitute, but with functional improvement. The M equals Modification, that results in significant task redesign. In it, new uses of technology are put into practice. The R equals Redifinition, that allows for new tasks to be done that were previously impossible before the technology was added.
I would like to consider how I might incorporate what I learned from Dr. Puentedura's lecture in my own lessons. In order to make the best of the project assignment in the class I am taking, I can't help but think that it would be good to follow the SAMR model.
My lesson is for 8th grade reading. The book is Phineas Gage: a Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science.
On the Substitution level, I could download the audiobook of Phineas Gage and play it through the classroom sound system while the students read along in their copies of the book. Using this step of SAMR, students would be using technology, but in essence would still just be reading the book.
On the Augmentation level, students could put sticky notes on words in their books that they are unfamiliar with. Then, after they read / listen to a chapter, they can look those words up on their laptop computers (we have a mobile computer lab) to find the meanings, and share them with other students. They could also do research on the internet to find out more about brain injuries and surgeries. This is information that they would not have access to in our school library.
The Modification level requires a significant task redesign. To take this step students will be introduced to another 8th grade class in Dallas, Texas, that is reading the same book, by way of iChat on the MacBook computer. The two teachers of the respective classes will hook up their computers to the classroom video projector and speakers, so that the students can see each other and get acquainted. They will then discuss the introduction to the book and form teams to work together on the book together.
The Redefinition level will allow students to collaborate between the classrooms via internet, to write reports, design blogs, develop wikis, or create Powerpoint or other computerized presentations that would become reports, teaching tools or enhancements for the book. Teachers will be present to guide and facilitate, but the students will be given the freedom to be as creative as they want with their group projects. When the projects are completed, they will be presented as possible publishable teacher helps for the Pathways reading program that is being implemented in the Texas and Georgia-Cumberland conferences.
Dr. Ruben Puentedura is an expert in education who presented a lecture entitled, "As We May Teach: Educational Technology, From Theory Into Practice" that is available as a free iTunes video. In it, he explained two methods of integrating technology into education. The first, TPCK, is represented visually with a Venn Diagram that shows how Technology, Pedagogy and Content have common elements that, when united in education, can enhance a student's performance.
The second method, SAMR, indicates the progress that students make as technology is integrated into a lesson. In it, S equals Substitution, which is the lowest level of technology that simply substitutes a piece of technology for an older form of teaching, but it still has the same basic function. The A equals Augmentation, in which technology still acts as a substitute, but with functional improvement. The M equals Modification, that results in significant task redesign. In it, new uses of technology are put into practice. The R equals Redifinition, that allows for new tasks to be done that were previously impossible before the technology was added.
I would like to consider how I might incorporate what I learned from Dr. Puentedura's lecture in my own lessons. In order to make the best of the project assignment in the class I am taking, I can't help but think that it would be good to follow the SAMR model.
My lesson is for 8th grade reading. The book is Phineas Gage: a Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science.
On the Substitution level, I could download the audiobook of Phineas Gage and play it through the classroom sound system while the students read along in their copies of the book. Using this step of SAMR, students would be using technology, but in essence would still just be reading the book.
On the Augmentation level, students could put sticky notes on words in their books that they are unfamiliar with. Then, after they read / listen to a chapter, they can look those words up on their laptop computers (we have a mobile computer lab) to find the meanings, and share them with other students. They could also do research on the internet to find out more about brain injuries and surgeries. This is information that they would not have access to in our school library.
The Modification level requires a significant task redesign. To take this step students will be introduced to another 8th grade class in Dallas, Texas, that is reading the same book, by way of iChat on the MacBook computer. The two teachers of the respective classes will hook up their computers to the classroom video projector and speakers, so that the students can see each other and get acquainted. They will then discuss the introduction to the book and form teams to work together on the book together.
The Redefinition level will allow students to collaborate between the classrooms via internet, to write reports, design blogs, develop wikis, or create Powerpoint or other computerized presentations that would become reports, teaching tools or enhancements for the book. Teachers will be present to guide and facilitate, but the students will be given the freedom to be as creative as they want with their group projects. When the projects are completed, they will be presented as possible publishable teacher helps for the Pathways reading program that is being implemented in the Texas and Georgia-Cumberland conferences.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Week 2 reaction paper
In the past week I have discovered a mountain of information about the 21st Century student and the classrooms in which they study. I have heard and read facts, statistics, and opinions as to what needs to be done to facilitate change in the educational process in order to accommodate the needs of 21st Century learners.
In many ways I was overwhelmed with the demand for change as persuasive speakers revealed the metamorphosis in business, industry, and the world economy presently taking place. People like Thomas Friedman and Mark Pesce made me realize that I have very little personal knowledge of how things are running in the world of business in this new technological age. I felt crushed under the weight of the responsibility given to teachers, like me, who have a great desire to prepare students for a successful, fulfilling life.
In fact, until I heard the lecture by Chris Johnson, from the 21st Century Learning Group, I was beginning to think that I was not only incapable of climbing that mountain of information, but I might not even be able to find the mountain! There were too many questions and no answers being presented until Johnson identified the skills he felt were important for teachers to impart to this new crop of students. Finally, there was something concrete that I could use to evaluate my teaching methods, and adjust my strategies. Johnson listed the following skills as vital for people stepping into the modern-day work force:
1. Critical thinking
2. Problem solving
3. Collaborative learning
4. Communication (written & oral)
5. Understanding of global literacy (what it means to be a citizen in the flattening world)
6. Economic literacy (understanding of economy)
7. Civic literacy (importance of giving back to the community)
I felt most comfortable with the item at the top of the list — Critical Thinking. As a language arts teacher I work hard to form open-ended questions that encourage students to think. I try to develop questions that don't necessarily have a right or wrong answer, but need to be answered just the same.
The fourth one on the list — Communication — had a nice ring to it, too. Obviously, I do my best to teach my students to communicate.
But the others! I think I fall short in Problem Solving. Also, Number 5 — Understanding of Global Literacy — is obviously lacking in my classroom curriculum as I see how one-dimensional I am in teaching grammar, spelling, handwriting, etc. And Number 6? Well, I don't know anybody who understands what's going on with Global Economy these days! So where do I begin? (I say 'I' rather than 'we' because I can't make a change in the world without changing myself first.) Maybe I should begin by rethinking my methods.
Ken Kay, President of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, says that the skills we need for 21st Century workers are the same skills we teach, but we need to help students relate these skills to real life. So maybe there really is hope. Maybe we don't need to change what we teach. We just need to change how we teach. I'm willing to give that a shot.
But, as "21st Century Skills, Education & Competitiveness" adamantly stated, "We need to act now." There is a new economy that uses knowledge rather than natural resources as the raw material. There are new skill demands that require creativity along with literacy. There are achievement gaps between the information we teach our students and the skills they actually develop to take with them into the work force.
Some people, like Washington Post Staff Writer Jay Mathews, wonder whether this is just another "Buzz Phrase," just another fad that will fade away in time. But even if that is true, I believe that the boost that we get from this shift in focus — even if it is slight — will help educators re-evaluate themselves. That, I believe, is always a good thing.
According to Mathews' article, "The Rush for '21st-Century Skills'," the best learning happens . . ."when students learn basic content and processes, such as the rules and procedures of arithmetic, at the same time that they learn how to think and solve problems." I think that's a reasonable request to place before our teachers, and a challenge that they are ready and willing to tackle.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)